House Updating

Well, we are still alive.  It's been quite a while since posting, but we have a summer snapshots post coming up that will review all of summer in one post!

But first, a little house update.  Mom and Dad came out to visit in May, just a couple weeks after Aunt Kari came out.  We felt loved.  

We really weren't working the whole time, but we did manage to get our master bathroom updated! Also, we had recently purchased new appliances for the kitchen and Grandpa was able to help get our microwave hung (after moving around the cabinets a bit..).

I think if you would ask either Clay or myself, we would tell you that this isn't the house we had planned on moving into, this isn't the city we had planned on starting our family in, and these aren't the job situations that we thought we would have upon graduating.  However, the Lord has been so faithful to us over and over - and we are so thankful that His ways are not our own ways.  

The more we grow as a family, the more focused I am on making sure our house is a home and a place of refuge to our little family of 3 1/2 people and those who we invite in.  I know that paint and pillows and furniture don't make a home, but it sure helps.  I am so thankful that we have been able (with A LOT of help from others) to do things to this house that make it more of our home.  It's tough being far from family, but having a home we not only like and feel comfortable in, but that we feel reflects us as a family, makes our journey out here just a little bit easier.

With that being said, a couple before and after pictures of our master bathroom vanity:

..and one with the lights out to see some details:

This may be too much information, but I keep our vanity clean now :).  I find that I have a really hard time being motivated to keep something clean if I don't like the way it looks.  If I enjoy a space or room or counter top, then I am much more likely to clean it on a regular basis so it looks nice!

Also, as mentioned previously, we recently purchased a new refrigerator, microwave, and oven.  The fridge and oven were already in place before Mom and Dad came out, but the microwave needed hung.  Although this probably wasn't completely necessary, I have a father who loves me and was willing to raise the cabinets above the microwave an inch or two for more space between the oven and microwave.  You can have your own opinion, but I personally find this inch or two to be a very vast space.

Before and after pictures of the appliances:

Levi's attempt at hanging the towel back up that he pulls down:

He makes me laugh :)

Once again, we had a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa - and Levi of course loved all the extra attention he got.  

Levi and his new car that showed up with Grandma and Grandpa:

Thanks again for making the trip out and helping us once again on the house!